Beetroot Juice and Heart Disease

In a June 2024 study of the heart risk of women post-menopause by Penn State University, it was said,

• “After menopause, women no longer produce estrogen, which helps maintain nitric oxide in the body,”

• “This loss of nitric oxide production contributes to the substantial increase in heart disease risk for postmenopausal women. Foods that are rich in nitrate — especially beets — are being investigated as a natural, non-pharmaceutical way to protect the heart and blood vessels.”

• “Women may need to consume beetroot juice daily — or even more often — to experience all of the potential cardiovascular benefits,”

• “Still, this research shows that beetroot juice can be very useful in protecting blood vessel health of mid-life women during a period of accelerating heart disease risk.” 

• “Some clinicians are already recommending beetroot juice to men and women with high blood pressure,”

• “By providing a safe and effective way to improve blood vessel function, beets could help maintain cardiovascular health in postmenopausal women. When you consider that most women are postmenopausal for at least a third of their lives, you can begin to understand the potential significance of these results.”   

• “Several of the participants said that they intended to continue consuming beetroot juice after the study concluded,” she said. “There seems to be a real desire on the part of postmenopausal women to support their cardiovascular health without taking additional medications. In part, I believe beets can be a complimentary food to improve blood vessel health in millions of women as they age.” 

Menopause – Unani Tibb

A 2015 study by the National Institute of Unani Medicine of menopause transition symptoms said,

“Dynamic changes occurs in reproductive and nonproductive tissues and production of [protoplasm] decreased to such an extent that it is insufficient to maintain [innate heat] and all the [power] starts deteriorating. In [late adulthood] because of change in [temperament] towards [coldness] …[amenorrhea] can occur naturally. Additionally, the production of [blood] is decreased from liver, whatever little is produced, tends to be towards coldness. This leads to clinical manifestations associated with [amenorrhea] such as fatigue, loss of appetite, weight gain, hirsutism, headache, backache, neck pain, general myalgia, arthralgia, nervousness, anxiety, depression, and insomnia.”

Ginger, pictured, is classified as a warm and moist food.

Reference

Sultana A, Fatima L, Sofi G, Noor SL (2015) Evaluation of Mizaj (Temperament) in Menopausal Transition Symptoms: A Pilot Study. J Res Development 3: 126. doi:10.4172/2311-3278.1000126

Fruit, Vegetables and the Menopause

A small February 2020 study by The North American Menopause Society (NAMS) called, "Higher intakes of fruits and vegetables are related to fewer menopausal symptoms: a cross-sectional study" it was found that there is, "some preliminary evidence regarding the influence of fruit and vegetable intake on menopause symptoms. There is ample evidence that a healthy diet rich in fruits and vegetables has a beneficial effect on health in a myriad of ways, but additional study is needed to determine whether various menopause symptoms may be affected by dietary choices,"

Some adverse effects on the urogenital system were noted for citrus fruits, green leafy or dark yellow vegetables.

Deficiency in Vitamin D after Menopause, link to lower back pain

In a February 2020 study by the North American Menopause Society it was found that, “very low vitamin D levels were linked to a greater likelihood of moderate to severe lower back pain and more severe lumbar disc degeneration, possibly because of the beneficial effects vitamin D has on nerve and muscle pain sensitivity, muscle strength and mass, and inflammation. Although not all women need vitamin D supplementation, this speaks to the importance of avoiding severe vitamin D deficiency states."

Muscle Mass in the Arms and Legs

In a July 2019 study by University of São Paulo’s Medical School said,

• “We evaluated the body composition of this group, focusing on appendicular muscle mass, subcutaneous fat and visceral fat. We then sought to determine which of these factors could predict mortality in the ensuing years. We concluded that the key factor was the amount of appendicular lean mass,”

• “According to the most widely used criteria [appendicular lean mass in kg divided by height squared in m], most of the individuals identified as having sarcopenia are lean. However, our sample had a higher-than-average BMI [body mass index], so we substituted muscle mass for fat mass. Subjects with muscle mass that was 20% below average were classified as having sarcopenia,” 

• “We then conducted a number of statistical analyses to detect differences between the subjects who died and those who remained alive, particularly, whether it was possible to predict a person’s death on the basis of body composition measured by the DXA examination,” 

• “We found that other parameters also negatively influenced mortality in the men, statistically reducing the significance of appendicular muscle mass. In the women, however, muscle mass stood out as a key factor and hence had more influence,”

• “The rapid and significant transition from a protective estrogenic environment to a deleterious hypoestrogenic environment, which is particularly adverse for the cardiovascular system, may make the protective metabolic role of skeletal muscles, including the production of anti-inflammatory cytokines, more important in the postmenopause period. This hormone change is far less abrupt in men,” 

Vitamin D, Omega 3, Cancer and Heart Disease

A very large 5-year trial of 26,000 by The North American Menopause Society (NAMS) is examining whether fish oil and vitamin D can effectively prevent cancer or cardiovascular disease. The VITamin D and OmegA-3 Trial (VITAL) shows promising signals for some outcomes:

Fish Oil - Omega-3 fatty acids

• Small, but non-significant, reduction in cardiovascular

• Significant reductions in heart attacks

Vitamin D

• No reduction on cardiovascular or cancer

• Statistically significant reduction in total cancer mortality for trial participants 2+ years

Sleep – The Menopause - Diabetes

An August 2019 study by The North American Menopause Society suggests that, “worse sleep-related symptoms in postmenopausal Asian women with type 2 diabetes compared with those without diabetes … sleep problems are common in midlife women. Sleep is an important determinant of health, and women with poor sleep should be seen and evaluated for common and treatable sleep disorders such as insomnia, obstructive sleep apnea, and restless legs syndrome.”